Ladyfest Bay Area Presents: One Good Turn - Thurs. Sept 13 - 8PM

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Oddball Films welcomes Ladyfest Bay Area for a filmic celebration of strong powerful women throughout history in the program One Good Turn, curated by Christine Kwon.  Including the rare and chillingly beautiful piece St. Louis Blues(1929), Bessie Smith's only screen performance before her tragic death.  Examine the myth and reality of the dutiful housewife in the disparate pieces Andean Women (1974) and 1970’s Breakfast Commercials featuring Patricia Neal for Maxim coffee. And none is more iconic of a young girl’s imagination than Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1981), a pedantic yet uncanny animated retelling of the children’s classic. The centerpiece of the night features a segment of Carl Dreyer’s acclaimed masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), and rounds out with Union Maids

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(1976), an inspiring and insightful exploration of the labor movement in the 1930s, told through the eyes of three women who bravely fought for equal rights during this period. Refined, ravishing, and rife with complexity, the ladies in this collection serve to dispel the myth of the magical woman and present something much more real — women who play, fight, and work, and look damn good doing it.   

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Camp for Boys & Girls: Jenni Olson Collection (B+W, 1950 & 1962)

The prison system gets an especially hysterical treatment in these trailers about locked up ladies in Caged and House of Women.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Color, 1981)

What’s a girl to do when confined by a life of boredom? Never one to be content reading under a tree, Alice foregoes the stationary life and embarks on a psychedelic adventure. Beautiful and dangerous, this fantasy world may be more true to life than she realizes.   

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1970s Breakfast Commercials (Color, 1970s)

One fantasy follows another in this slate of commercials that enable even the liberated woman to make her Joe happy with the perfect cup of joe. Not convinced? Take it from Academy Award winning actress Patricia Neal, who certainly seems to be “the boss in the house.”

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Andean Women (Color, 1974)

A woman’s role in the domicile is questioned as the nexus of tradition and change come to light amongst generations of Aymara Indian women. Shifting ideals and a desire for change force the old and young to ponder their contributions as counterparts in a male-dominated culture.

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Bessie Smith: St Louis Blues (B+W, 1929)
She does so much for her good-for-nuthin’ honey, only to be swindled and abused time and again. Iconic Blues songstress Bessie Smith shows how to throw it down in the seedy settings of this unique short, featuring philandering, tap-dancing beau (renowned dancer Jimmy Mordecai) with a rare track sung by our tragic heroine.

The Passion of Joan of Arc (B+W, 1928)
Tragedy is given new standards in this acclaimed classic featuring Renee Jeanne Falconetti. More than a simple martyr, Falconetti masterfully imbues in “Jean” the strength and faithfulness of the enduring historical figure. Paired with a contemporary track including Fiona Apple, Bat for Lashes, Dengue Fever, and more, this is a cinematic experience not to be missed.

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Chick Strand circa 1970

Underground Film  (Color, 1970)

If Jean was reincarnated, she might look a bit like Chick Strand, one of the west coast’s most influential experimental filmmakers, in this exploration into ‘underground’ film through the eyes of the artists.

Chinese New Year: San Francisco Chinatown Rice Bowl Parade (Color, 1951)

Reconstituting this rare collection of footage featuring celebrations in San Francisco’s Chinatown, we listen to poetry by spoken word artist Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai’s and her take on being Chinese in America over images of the dragon parade and locals showing off their finest beaded dresses.  

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Union Maids (B+W, 1976)
Strength and courage are displayed in this compelling doc about the history of the 1930s women’s labor movement, told through the experiences of three workers who rapidly became rank-and-file activists, union organizers, and socialist leaders. 

About the Curator